Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wenbin said all countries, whether large or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, have the same rights and equality in international relations.
He made the remarks in a post on his personal Facebook account on July 4, 2026, after sharing Cambodian Senate President Hun Sen’s reflections on the “geography of football.”
In that message, Hun Sen said the 2026 World Cup showed that football does not discriminate between rich and poor countries, large and small countries, or by population size. Developing countries and countries with smaller populations can also compete with and defeat strong teams, he said.
Hun Sen said the growing participation of poorer countries and countries with smaller populations in the World Cup demonstrated equality on the pitch, in contrast to a geopolitical environment facing turmoil and a loss of international order.
Linking his remarks to that view, Wang Wenbin stressed that equality among countries should not exist only on the football pitch but should be applied and reflected in every aspect of international relations.
He emphasized: “The ironclad friendship between China and Cambodia is a good example of mutual respect and equality between countries.”
By: Pai Sokhim
